The collapse of the competing FCAS program makes the GCAP Europe’s only sixth-generation fighter jet—so the project must be completed to maintain defense autonomy from the United States.

The Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), a joint sixth-generation fighter effort led by the United Kingdom, Italy, and Japan, has received a $6.1 billion contract to continue concept development. The funding, awarded by the “GCAP Agency” established between the three nations to the Edgewing consortium that is leading the development, should cover the next 18 months of engineering work on the prospective fighter jet.

The announcement comes shortly after GCAP’s rival program, the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), effectively collapsed, leaving the GCAP as Europe’s only active sixth-generation fighter development program.

What Will the New GCAP Funding Be Used For?

The funding will allow GCAP to transition from early concept work toward increasingly detailed aircraft design, demonstrating a continued political and financial commitment from all three partner nations. The multi-billion dollar boost reinforces the goal of fielding an operational sixth-generation fighter around 2035. And following FCAS’s collapse, GCAP now represents Europe’s primary pathway to an indigenous next-generation combat aircraft.

The effort—a collaboration primarily between the UK, Italy, and Japan—is dedicated to fielding a combat aircraft worthy of replacing the Eurofighter Typhoon in Italy and the UK and the Mitsubishi F-2 in Japan. The program is geared towards emphasizing a common aircraft with shared development costs, to facilitate interoperable air forces and long-term industrial cooperation.

The newly-awarded $6.1 billion contract will support concept refinement, systems engineering, digital design, aircraft architecture, detailed engineering, and integration planning across all three nations.

The World’s First Sixth-Gen Fighter Is Coming Soon…ish

No nation has yet built a sixth-generation fighter. In fact, only three have ever successfully built a fifth-generation fighter: the United States, Russia, and China, with the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II, Su-57 Felon, and J-20 Mighty Dragon and J-35 Cloud Dragon, respectively.

None of those three nations, however, has yet built a sixth-gen fighter—and Russia in particular does not appear likely to, while the United States and China are quietly pursuing them. Could the GCAP program beat them to it?

The United States, currently underway with the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program, is the favorite to field a sixth-generation fighter first. Aerospace giant Boeing was awarded the contract for the future “F-47” aircraft last year, with first flight tentatively scheduled for 2028 and introduction in the early 2030s. It is far from clear if the GCAP program can match this aggressive schedule. Then again, it is also far from clear if Boeing can keep to it.

The inclusion of Japan in GCAP adds a distinct strategic angle to the project. Japan offers advanced aerospace manufacturing and growing defense investment with Indo-Pacific operational requirements. GCAP will therefore need to be designed for both European security and Indo-Pacific contingencies. This format is a reflection of a changing geopolitical threat picture.

Moreover, the collapse of FCAS could lead to a more consolidated industrial investment, possibly attracting additional international interest that reduces the duplication of development efforts. GCAP will now have enhanced strategic importance, making it Europe’s only opportunity to develop an indigenous sixth-generation aircraft and gain some technological and military independence from the United States. Indeed, GCAP gives the continent the opportunity to avoid the dependencies demonstrated through the F-35 program, where European nations had to either rely on fourth-generation-plus aircraft like the Dassault Rafale or import modern American ones.

How Is a “Sixth-Gen” Fighter Better Than a Fifth-Gen One?

What exactly constitutes a “sixth-generation fighter” is debatable. Expected capabilities include very low observability, advanced sensor fusion, AI-assisted decision support, open mission architecture, electronic warfare integration, long-range networking, and teaming with unmanned Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCAs).

Unlike fifth-generation aircraft, sixth-generation aircraft are increasingly expected to be command-and-control nodes that coordinate manned and unmanned assets across multiple domains—more a “quarterback in the skies,” a role sometimes associated with the F-35, than a kinetic dogfighter.

It is also worth noting that sixth-generation programs are expected to emphasize open architecture, which is consistent with the modern fighter’s focus on software. GCAP is no different, and will likely emphasize modular mission systems, rapid software upgrades, easier sensor integration, and future weapons compatibility. The goal is to avoid length modernization cycles that characterized previous fighter generations, allowing European air forces to equip and upgrade their airfleets as quickly and efficiently as possible.

About the Author: Harrison Kass

Harrison Kass is a writer and attorney focused on national security, technology, and political culture. His work has appeared in Tablet, City Journal, The Hill, The Spectator, and The Cipher Brief. He holds a JD from the University of Oregon and a master’s in Global & Joint Program Studies from NYU. More at harrisonkass.com.

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